


puppy knuckles

by spaace



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 20:55:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12373875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaace/pseuds/spaace
Summary: “do an eddie and richie meeting in college au fic!” thanks, anon





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello everyone! i wrote a short drabble for the anon who requested it, but lots of people asked for a whole length story, so here it is. feel free to follow me on tumblr @wyattghouleff

eddie buried himself deeper in his jacket. the little glowing open sign seems like it’s laughing at him. the neon red letters distort themselves into manic grinning faces, mocking eddie for his inability to open the door and walk in. through the window he can see people gathered in chairs, a short queue at the counter, and the smell of coffee wafts out into the cold autumn's night air. it was just a quaint little coffee shop, right outside of campus where some students worked easy jobs and others studied, and bill promised him a job this morning

"remember why we left d-derry?" bill asked him this morning, ransacking their dorm for the notes from his morning class. it's a question eddie's heard a lot. a question asked, breaking the silence of feeding each other chinese take out while watching shitty week night television, or asked when eddie denied his friend's invitation to whatever frat party was happening that night. 

eddie rolled his eyes, flipping the page of his notebook. bill answers his own question, and they speak in unison. "to meet new people."

bill leaned against their shared desk. it seemed the only person eddie spoke to since they left derry besides him, was his mother, the person he was supposed to be running away from. ms. kaspbrak had a tight grip on her son, and bill thought he needed some freedom, and somehow got eddie to agree on going away for college. it only gotten worse. eddie and his mother had a calling schedule and if eddie didn't call her, she was ringing bill's phone for an explanation, 

"you're the one who took my baby away from me," she spat through the phone. 

bill wasn't phased on bit as he finished annotating his essay. "ms. kasprak, eddie won't be able to get through to you if you're on the line with me,"

there was a pause of silence, "very well then," and a click before the dial tone.

the frigid weather had turned eddie's nose red now, and he thinks about what he should've said this morning

what he should've said when bill said, "you would look g-guh-good at the shop," he was grinning, stuffing stray papers and note book in his book bag. 'good behind the counter of a place that sells overpriced iced coffees for the entire impatient study body when we have a coffee maker in this dorm?' is definitely not what eddie responded with. he didn't respond at all, actually. 

bill and eddie had been the best of friends since grade school. bill and silver, his trusty bicycle, were always getting into some sort of trouble. eddie, just so happened to keep bandages in his fanny pack. bill denbrough was the name of the lips of girls and boys alike on the playground, when he snuck off and dragged eddie with him to sneak through holes in the school yard fences. they threw rocks and climbed trees and called out each other's names when they reached the top. everyone liked bill, and bill liked everyone, too. but he chose eddie because he didn't slam doors and speak so loud., like the other kids.

eddie was grateful to have a friend like bill, because he didn't look after him, he encouraged him. there was difference that he couldn't exactly explain, but bill treated him as equally, even when eddie was inches shorter and missing his two front teeth. it made him feel better about himself, and brave. but they weren't boys at recess anymore and they are far from home, they're in college now and this would be eddie's first real job. he's not sure if delivering new papers for scrap change counts yet.

"are you going in?" a voice asks him, and he whips his head around to see a girl holding the door open. the bright chatter of the coffee shop grinds in his ear and he feels his stomach turn, but he swallows hard and smiles at her. 

"yeah, thanks,"

there were plant terrariums hanging from the ceiling along with unique light fixtures, but eddie only looked ahead as he walked through the aisle of stools and chattering people. luckily, there was no line at the counter.

bill leaned against the counter, folding his arms and smiling at his approaching friend. "what c-c-can i get you?"

"an apron," eddie scoffed, looking around the place. it was small but definitely crowded. one of those places where there's so many people in one place all you could focus on was yourself. the noises didn't bother him much, he just hoped everything covered their mouth when they sneezed.

when he turned, bill was no longer behind the counter. he was in front of him, now, towering over eddie with an extra foot or so on his height. and when eddie reached for the apron, bill pulled it back.

he leaned down just a tad, and asked, "is that my jacket?"

eddie rolled his eyes, snatching the apron. "it's your beanie, too,"

and that's how his first day of work started. it was just the two of them that night, their work areas separate. eddie was behind a counter stocked full of fresh pastries and desserts, bill was across from him and was in charge for making drinks. 

when the store closed, bill took care of that evil, intimidating, neon flashing light outside for eddie, defeating it with a single flick of the OFF switch. while eddie picked up chairs and bill mopped the floor, headphones over his ears, the manager introduced herself. she said she liked how eddie worked, that he was quick, and that she wanted him in tomorrow morning so she could show him how to make the drinks himself.

while walking to their dorms, bill joked about how his friend was stealing his job.

bill was walking in front of eddie, ahead of him and backwards, so he can talk to him still. "we were suppose to w-wuh-work together, now you're taking my shift,"

eddie smirked, but said nothing. he knew bill was probably relieved, the boy complained about his morning shifts all the time, never leaving fast enough to get to class on time. eddie normally liked to sleep in until noon or so, but he didn't mind the extra money, and his boss seemed to really like him, for it being his first day.

bill shook his head, pausing so eddie could catch up. when he did, bill wrapped his arm around his friend, resting his head on top of his. "first my jacket, now my job," he shook his head again, making 'tsk, tsk, tsk' sounds of disapproval. the two walked back to their dorm just like that.

the next morning, eddie awoke to loud beeping and a sticky note placed over the electronic letters of his alarm clock. 'make sure to take your meds :)' scribbled with bill's messy hand writing, the two have joked how it's almost worse than mr. keene's prescription papers. there was also a mug of coffee, still warm, and probably better than the ones he would learn how to make today.

the shop was different this early, the morning light shined through the windows and left sun rays, and eddie heard wind chimes sing above him when he opened the door that he swore he didn't hear last night. manager, name tag indicated her name was miranda, gave eddie his own personalized one. she walked him through the steps and instructed him to fix two coffees, one for her and one for him.

"oh, i'm okay, ma'am. i mean, miranda. i'm okay," but she insists.

they lean against the counter and laugh at classes for a while in the empty store, but the wind chimes sing their soft song again and she leans into him, with one hand on his shoulder, "put the drink away, you have your first customer,"

lots of students, similar to bill, thought taking morning classes was the smart route to take, because it would be just like high school. eddie didn't know of a lot of people who just classes later in the day like himself, but this boy and he shared the same idea.

when eddie first meets him months ago, he is a mess of flailing limbs and worry lines, almost stumbling face first into a pillar covered in club meeting flyers, almost.

he expects the worst, a broken nose would be the second injury he would have to explain to his mom. but a boy catches him, arms out in a hugging gesture that seems a little awkward. 

"you okay there, man?" 

the boy with glasses takes it in all cool, like he did everything. the boy, from one of his classes, who leaned back with his pen in his mouth and memorized notes instead of writing them down, who bounced his leg while staring at the clock. that boy, who was always cool.

eddie almost thought he would yell at him or something, but he says,

"watch yourself next time, alright?" and walks away with an amused smile.

it's him again, entering the coffee shop on this wednesday morning. he has a cigarette tucked behind one ear and his hair looks like just woke up, but eddie pretends he doesn't notice and is scrubbing the same spot on the counter with a wash rag. he orders a coffee, 

"six sugars, plenty of cream, please,"

eddie laughs. he tries to hold it in, he really does. but he remembers how antsy the boy was in class the day before, chewing his gum hard and patting his hands on his knees for the last five minutes of class, and maybe this overly sweet drink was the reason. the boy raises and eyebrow, and eddie explains, "you seem like the type."

he shrugs, smiling sheepishly, his toothy smile, "i guess i am."

he took his drink without another word, and the ghost he left in that shop haunted eddie the rest of his shift.


	2. Chapter 2

the following week, miranda let both of the boys have a night shift. she joked about the intense competition the two might have, the best couple of workers in the same shop, but tonight was their monthly poetry slam night, and it might be just as packed as the night eddie began working. she graciously let them have the morning off, too. eddie thought he would be able to slip back in routine of sleeping in a little late, but his mother called him that morning at exactly 7:00 AM - ironic, the same time his shift would begin - to wish him a good day at work, and he couldn't get back to sleep then.

he left out, borrowing bill's flannel this time, and leaving his friend a sticky note on their shared alarm clock, 'good morning :)'. eddie had no desired detestation, he just subconsciously took a path he remembered: down the street, around the corner, and pass the 24/7 corner store with the XXL slushies bill liked to share when he had a bad day. the store he arrived at had stacks of books so high in the window eddie couldn't see pass them, but he could hear the sounds for prince floating out through the door, so he walks inside and was met with the song when doves cry pulsating around him.

shelves of books towered over eddie, but normally so did everything else. the smell of old paper and dust clogged his nostrils, and it's unbearably warm in here, probably why there was electronic fans scattered around the place. it's a little shop that must have stood before the college, eddie thought, an antique shop that must have started carrying books for the students down the way, but never changed their habits or style. 

as he walked towards the back of the store, the sounds of prince get louder and louder. walking through aisles where the book shelves were uncomfortably close made eddie, well, uncomfortable. but he found the source of music, in the corner of the store. a wide area with a large window and radio perched upon a cart of books. he started watching a boy who stood with his back turned to eddie, singing at the top of his lungs.

"alone in a world that's so cold?" the boy wraps his arms around himself on the word cold, imitating a shiver for good effect. "maybe i'm just too demanding," his voice is deep but soft at the same time, it reminds eddie of his third grade soccer couch. eddie giggles to himself as the boy does some sort of weird shoulder roll, and he continued placing books upon the shelf. 

there comes a pause in between two lines, and eddie takes the chance to announce his presence. he said, "hi", and the boy must have jumped a foot in the air. he presses pause on the radio, and then it's deafeningly silent in the shop.

if eddie hadn't been to the book store before, he would still know who the boy working here was. the tall, dark, and extremely handsome college football super star, mike hanlon, who worked at a book store and still somehow managed to volunteer weekend mornings and attend every party weekend nights. but since the first time mike scanned eddie's textbooks and smiled that charming smile that made everyone, especially teachers, go wild, he was just mike.

"i thought i was alone," he broke the silence.

eddie shook his head.

mike crossed his arms in front of his chest. he had nice arms, long muscles moving under his dark skin, a couple of bracelets. the fan sitting on the corner of the desk rotated slowly, the electronic whirring the only noise in the shop for a few seconds before mike spoke again, "how's your friend?"

once, eddie visited and bought bill along with him to pay on a couple of text books that were cheaper than purchasing from the campus. mike was almost finished scanning them, when bill slid a paperback book on the counter and patted eddie on the shoulder, in a way that said, "i'll pay you back."

eddie gestured to a chair, non verbally asking if he could sit, and mike nodded. "still single," he answered.

mike raised an eyebrow and sat next to eddie, the cart carrying the radio was close, so he pressed it on, turning the volume knob lower. 

"are you asking because he bought that book titled pansexuality: the eighth wonder of the world?"

mike laughed, and sputtered, and scoffed, and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed again. then leaned forward and said, "yeah, but i mean, because maybe i could borrow the book or something, i don't know,"

bill preferred baseball over football and didn't date much, but eddie made a mental note to let him know. better yet, let the two properly meet. "his name is bill," eddie said with a soft smile, "he writes," his watch alarm beeped, and he pulled his book bag until his lap, searching the bottom of his medication with a laugh, "and he always reminds me before my watch does,"

he had taken medication for as long as he remembered, and he could dry swallow a pill if he really had to. like in this book store that didn't seem to have a water fountain, strangely enough. 

mike grinned, "well, i like to read," he looked around the store.

"he works, i'm sorry, we work at a coffee shop. you should come by, we're hosting a poetry slam tonight."

mike glanced down at his watch before standing. he turned the radio off for a last time before grabbing the keys that laid besides it. "tell me more about it while we walk?"

eddie stood up, too, carrying his book bag on his back again. it seems the two are getting along swimmingly, so he joked, "only if you can close up shop in under a minute," mike laughed, waving a hand in a "oh, stop it," fashion, like he wasn't going to accept the challenge. 

but eddie started the count down anyways, "3-2-1," and mike rushed off, legs churning quickly. eddie thought he had to be sweating by now. he heard a loud slam, a crash, and then mike barreled back out of the back room, grabs eddie's hand and they sprint down the skinny aisles of the shop, bursting out the front door and into the cold air. mike slammed the door behind them and gives a loud, celebratory whoop as he interested the key in the lock. he's laughing and his smile is so wide it looked painful. 

they end up walking a route eddie isn't familiar with, but as long as it lead them to the campus, he didn't really care.

"you're just allowed to close shop when ever you feel like?" eddie asked, and mike shook his head.

"family owned business," he explained. "i try to work and help out when ever i can, but i'm sure my gramps will be in soon." eddie nodded.

they're waiting at a cross section and mike decided to share with eddie, "he gave me this bracelet," mike ran a long, slender finger along the leather band across his wrist, his last name engraved. 

"you're close to your family?" 

mike grinned and began, "yeah, they're-" unsure where to start first. he was ready to tell eddie how his dorm was full of photo albums and stories of living on a farm not too far from campus, and how his family has a secret pumpkin pie recipe and they win the baking competition at the city fall festival every year, and how he's the first to attend college and they're all so proud of him, and how well he's juggling two majors and how he received his full ride scholarship playing high school football. 

but a boy bumped shoulders with mike and he was lighting fast, helping him pick up his books and scattered papers. eddie would've bent down to help, but it seemed mike was quick enough. when the boy stood to thank mike properly, eddie noticed he was taller than him, but shorter than mike, with a head full of loose dark curls and a lovely nose that was on the large size.

mike waved it off like it was no problem, and tried to summarize his thoughts up. "my family, they're great."

"bill's close to his family, too," eddie didn't have any siblings, and him and his mom had bumped heads since high school. 

before mike could respond, eddie said in a soft voice, "i think he bumped into you because he liked you," no one had ever bumped into him on purpose, he doesn't think so, but he's seen it on television.

it's happened to mike plenty of times, among other subtle, flirty touches. he laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, then assured eddie he thinks this kid actually absent mindedly bumped into him. when they parted ways, eddie was genuinely surprised mike even remembered his name, and he promised to try to make it to the coffee shop this evening.

eddie finished his classes for the day and the coffee shop was packed when he push his way through the door, he has trouble making it behind the counter. he grabbed his apron from the hook it hung and tied it around his waist. he could barely hear himself think, let alone hear the stern whisper in his ear from bill, "you're late," bill was never as bad as his mom, though.

when the work load slows down a bit, he helped bill wash coffee mugs and dessert plates.

"you have a secret admirer," eddie said, drying a mug off with a dish towel.

bill doesn't look up from the circle motions he's washing the plate with. "oh, yeah? who?"

he scoffed, "it's no fun if i just tell you."

bill shrugged carelessly and handed the mug to eddie to dry. "then why w-wuh-would you b-bring it up?"

eddie rolled his eyes. it seemed the busy night was stressing bill out, because he was no fun right now. "mike hanlon,"

bill laid the towel over the edge of the sink before turning to eddie. "the football guy?"

eddie mock gasped, "just the football guy? bill, you better hope none of the cheerleaders heard that," they both laughed, the idea that the only air head cheerleaders they knew of would attend a poetry slam with a group covered in piercings or tattoos. 

"what d-does he want with me?" bill asked, and eddie shrugged, drying off the last dish from the sink.

"to explore his pansexuality?" eddie suggested. he leaned over the counter away from bill now, watching miranda announce the next reader. the earlier times, a hush fell over the crowd as they stood up on stage. but this time a group of friends started cheering, loudly. it almost seemed to annoy the other coffee shop guests, some peering over their shoulders with rude looks, but eddie smiled to himself. he thinks it's nice they are supportive of their friend. the smile fell flat when he glanced over at the table of applauding friends. 

a boy of average height with an average look walked on stage after a girl who's hair curled around her pierced ears kissed him on the cheek. the boy who has occupied eddie's thoughts since he bought that overly sweet coffee was here, leaning on the back legs of the chair as he blew encouraging whistles. his arm was resting on the back of the chair the curly haired boy from earlier was sitting in.

bill originally leaned forwards to get eddie's attention, maybe ask him more about mike. but he can see from the side of his eyes that eddie is hurt, with his lip pulled between his teeth. he watched eddie's eyes bounce bewteen the boys, whispering in each other's ears while the taller one placed is hand on the other's knee. bill decided he doesn't want eddie to torture himself any longer, and spoke up "hey," bill elbows his friend, "it's just a crush, don't b-beat yourself up,"

eddie stood up straight, and bill followed suit. he nodded, to himself, really. he wasn't on the verge of tears or anything, but getting over someone was always tough. people began to stand, talk among themselves, and it seemed the reading is over. bill noticed the curly haired boy stand and make his way to the counter. "do you w-wuh-want me to ring him up?" he suggested, and eddie shook his head. he wasn't mad at the boy, and he shouldn't let him ruin the rest of his shift.

bill stood close by, just in case, but mike slipped through the shop doors right before miranda flipped the OFF switch on the neon welcome sign. there were still other customers lingering, unplugging their laptops and grabbing their backpacks. the two boys sat at an empty table near by as bill explained eddie was almost off the clock. the curly boy's order wasn't complicated at all, he simply asked for a black coffee. eddie was relieved that he could finish quickly and wouldn't have to look at him anymore, but the boy with glasses approached.

he wrapped the curly hair boy up in his arms, nuzzling his nose into the croock of his neck, and eddie can faintly make out a muffled, "what's taking so long?" his heart strings were being tugged at right in front of them and neither boy even knew the pain they were causing, but eddie managed to keep a polite and professional smile. 

"here's your coffee," eddie hoped he didn't sound too unenthusiastic, it seemed neither boy noticed. the one with the glasses slapped the other's hands away from reaching for the wallet, and he slipped eddie the cash across the counter. while he's subtracting the change on the cash register, the one with the glasses leaned forward, reading his name tag. "eddie, huh? is that short for edward?"

he peered up, fingers still on the cash register keys. eddie nodded, the unsure butterflies in his stomach overruled his thoughts, and he just wanted to hear him say his name again.

he puts his hand up, rejecting the change eddie tries to hand to him. he grabbed the cup of coffee, tipping it towards eddie. "well, buenos dias, eddie," 

eddie can't appreciate the silly spanish accent for too long. the other boy scoffed, and snatched his coffee from him, "it's night time, idiot. buenas noches, richie."

richie sighed, "who cares, stan? beverly and ben are waiting, come on." and the two left, like nothing ever happened. 

mike stuck around and helped out, sitting chairs on the tables so eddie and bill could mop properly. he walked the boys back to their dorm building, too. mike and bill felt terrible, eddie didn't join in on the conversation and he watched his shoes press against the pavement for the walk. they didn't want to push the subject. but mike assured there would be better days, and eddie hoped he was right.


End file.
